Motability mileage allowance cut from 1 July as 25p-per-mile charge confirmed

Disabled drivers who lease a car through the Motability Scheme are bracing for changes from 1 July that will tighten how far they can travel each year before extra charges kick in, according to the Mirror.

Under the new rules, customers who go over their annual mileage allowance will be billed at a rate of 25p for every additional mile, a cost that could quickly add up for those who rely on their vehicle for hospital trips, school runs and work.

The scheme, which is funded through the higher rate mobility component of Personal Independence Payment or the equivalent Disability Living Allowance, currently supports more than 800,000 disabled people across the UK and is the main route many take to staying mobile.

Motability has also confirmed a cut to the tyre allowance included in the lease package. Drivers who previously expected a generous number of replacement tyres during the three-year agreement will now find that figure trimmed back, leaving more wear-and-tear costs falling on the customer.

The Department for Work and Pensions has been pressed on how the changes will affect families on tight budgets, with campaigners warning that the squeeze comes at a time when fuel, insurance and household bills are still biting hard.

Charities working with disabled people say the mileage cap is a particular worry in rural areas, where public transport is patchy and a single round trip to a specialist clinic can easily eat into a weekly allowance.

Anyone signed up to the scheme has been urged to check their renewal paperwork carefully before 1 July, log their current odometer reading, and weigh up whether the new package still works for the journeys they actually need to make.

Motability says the updates are designed to keep the scheme sustainable for the long term, but for many customers the maths is simple. Fewer free miles and fewer free tyres means a higher real cost of getting around.

Wake Up News covers the money side of British life. Bills, benefits, pensions, tax and the political decisions behind them, written plainly for readers who want to know what it costs them.

Wake Up News covers the money side of British life. Bills, benefits, pensions, tax and the political decisions behind them, written plainly for readers who want to know what it costs them.

Wake Up News covers the money side of British life. Bills, benefits, pensions, tax and the political decisions behind them, written plainly for readers who want to know what it costs them.

Wake Up News covers the money side of British life. Bills, benefits, pensions, tax and the political decisions behind them, written plainly for readers who want to know what it costs them.

Wake Up News covers the money side of British life. Bills, benefits, pensions, tax and the political decisions behind them, written plainly for readers who want to know what it costs them.